Christopher

Debonair oddball B. K. Troop is delighted when Chris Ireland, a 25-year-old aspiring writer, moves into his apartment building in January 1984. The dark-haired, sexy Christopher (as B. K. insists on calling him) is still reeling from his divorce from an aspiring actress, but B. K. is convinced he can work his subtle charms on the younger man.

Like any entertaining seduction yarn, things don’t quite go according to the seducer’s plan. Christopher responds to B. K.’s overtures of friendship but nothing more. Under B. K.’s watchful (and frustrated) eye, Christopher first jumps into politics, and when that proves unsuccessful, he turns to a New Age guru who hosts a self-help seminar known as “The Weekend.” Though he’s jealous when Christopher falls for the wife of the owner of his favorite restaurant, and later when he sleeps with one of the students he tutors, B. K. never loses hope of seducing his young neighbor. He does, however, make a startling discovery about himself: somewhere along the way, he’s fallen in love with Christopher.

Burnett perfectly captures both the mid-1980s setting and the feelings of both his lovable, predatory narrator and B. K.’s elusive quarry. B. K. is both hilariously outlandish and utterly touching.

Editorial Reviews

“Either he’s channeling Truman Capote’s spirit, or Allison Burnett has created, all by himself, one of the more assured narrative voices in recent memory. His B.K. Troop is a pitch-perfect creation: bitchy-funny with a twist of rue.”–Louis Bayard, author of Fool’s Errand and Endangered Species

“Christopher is the literary equivalent of sparkling banter whose aftermath is trenchant poignancy. The deep, sad truths of this slyly funny novel continue to gather force long after you’ve finished reading.”–Kate Christensen, author of In the Drink and Jeremy Thrane